ACC coach: Half league’s teams don’t have player that can start for FSU

Posted by Brent Sobleski on August 22, 2014, 5:53 PM EDT

How talented is Florida State’s team?

It’s talented enough to help build an inferiority complex around the rest of the ACC.

“According to one ACC coach, FSU is so stocked with talent across its depth chart that he believes about half the league’s teams do not have one player who would start for Florida State this year based on what he’s seen on film,” Bruce Feldman and Pete Thamel of FoxSports.com reported.

The Seminoles are absolutely loaded on both sides of the football. Last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Jameis Winston, is back for his redshirt sophomore season. The team also returns eight players named to one of the All-ACC teams in 2013. And the 11 starters Florida State has to replace from last year’s squad will be filled with former highly-touted recruits that simply need an opportunity to showcase their talent.

The unnamed coach was right about half the league. A quick look at the preseason All-ACC team proves his point. Players from seven teams other than Florida State were bestowed with the honor.

Teams that didn’t have a representative were the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, North Carolina Tar Heels, North Carolina State Wolfpack, Pittsburgh Panthers, Virginia Cavaliers and Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Arguments could be made for Pitt wide receiver Tyler Boyd, North Carolina linebacker Norkeithus Otis, Virginia safety Anthony Harris and Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson but the coach’s point still stands.

The underlying theme of the comment is simple. Florida State will be favored to win every game it plays this season, and only one or two teams in the ACC even have a chance to upset the Seminoles as they attempt a second run to the national championship game.

Clemson could play with anyone in the SEC and Miami, NC, Louisville, and Duke would be able to beat most of the mid rangers from last year. There’s no doubt that the SEC is the best conference but at least everyone can agree that the ACC is better than the B1G or Big 12 and probably pretty close in talent with the PAC 12. If you don’t think that, then you probably don’t actually watch football.

I love SEC homers who love to forget Ole Miss, Miss St, KY, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and a 4-8 Florida. They have plenty of suckage just like other conferences.

canetic says:Aug 22, 2014 8:46 PM

Something tells me that “one ACC coach” was Jimbo Fisher. FSU is always claiming they are stocked with talent. Once Winston leaves they will be back to the same old runner-up wide-right shoulda-been FSU.

FSU could play in the SEC and compete consistently with the top teams in the conference every year! Seminoles beat Alabama in ’09 championship season 21-7 in what was like their fourth year of having a 7w-4L season! Alabama started their 3 out 4 championships run the following season!

I am an FSU fan, but to say there are only 1-2 teams capable of upsetting FSU is a bit of an over statement. I look at six games that FSU could be beat. First two are the rivalry games: Florida and Miami. Despite what happened last year to UF, rivalry games can never be discounted. The next two are tough in-division games: Clemson and Louisville. The final two are two of the other non-conference games: Oklahoma State and Notre Dame. As much as I would like to see FSU in the playoff it is hardly a gimme.

To piggyback on my last comment, prior to last season FSU has always had at least one team beat them that was not near their talent level. Until beating those teams becomes a regular trend year in and year out, I am not a foolish FSU fan. Anything can happen.

urfinished says:Aug 23, 2014 10:55 AM

Buy stock in the ACC as it is low now.
FSU is back. Clemson will be perennial top 10 with Dabo recruiting. VT will be back…may be after Beamer retires though. UNC has a good coach and that offense will be sick. Da U will always recruit. Petrino is a scumbag but can coach his cheating tail off. And Duke may have the best coach in the league and recruits are buying into them being the east coast Stanford.
The stock is low…buy it.
However, if paid to play passes for college…the SEC will ruin college football and win every year.

At fsu01, I’m as big a fan of the ‘Noles as anybody but I don’t believe that Clemson has enough offensive firepower to beat FSU at the early date they’re playing this year nor do I think ND can come into Doak and win with the significant losses (three contributing starters) they’re expecting to have. However, you make a very good point with the rivalry games (UM & UF) and I’ll do you one better; I predict FSU will lose the game at Louisville–I get the feeling that Bobby Petrino, who can coach if can’t do anything else, will have the redbirds fired up to make a statement on a very national stage.